25 Dec Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘n Cardiac Arrest
We all remember our first time. The discomfort. Confusion. Wondering...
I Love This Place
04 Dec Well, Now I’ve Seen Everything…
Posted at 16:15h
in Culture, I Love This Place, Israelis Make Me Laugh, Now I'm Just Being Silly 0 Comments
It was brought to my attention last week that Friday, December 1st was World AIDS Day. Although we might wish differently (thanks to the recent UN voting), Israel is in fact part of this world and as such, commemorated this day along with the...
13 Nov Born to Be…Ehhhhh….
Having picked up and moved to a new state three times (Georgia, New York, and the State of Israel), I am often described by my father as a risk-taker. However, no one should confuse me with Evil Knievel or any other daredevils. I got scared...
03 Nov FINALLY…bo n’daber Ivrit!
Posted at 02:33h
in I Love Hebrew, I Love This Place, Israelis Make Me Laugh, Now I'm Just Being Silly, This Aliyah Moment is Brought to You by the Letter Aleph 0 Comments
Here is a list of just a few of the benefits provided to me by the Misrad Klitah, Ministry of Absorption, as an oleh chadash (new immigrant): Free health insurance for 5 months Free Ulpan (Hebrew class) within my 18 months Free falafel for my first 40 years While...
27 Oct A Third-World Country with Camels?
Posted at 13:33h
in Culture, I Love This Place, Israelis Make Me Laugh, Now I'm Just Being Silly 0 Comments
That’s the stereotype of the stereotype that the world has of Israel. I don’t know if that’s really what people think but those in the world of Jewish education always stress the need to show American Jewish teens that there’s more than just camels....
21 Oct Shabbat in Jerusalem
At the current point of Jewish history, people talk about the Jewish world being elliptical with two foci, or main points, Israel and America. Israel too has two geographical foci which arguably hold greater significance than others, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Most American...
15 Oct “Cafe, B’vakasha? Coffee, please?”
Let’s review some famous questions in history: 1) Why did the chicken cross the road? 2) Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near? 3) Shalom, Benji...
29 Sep ‘Mazal Tov! You’re a Human Being!’
I turned the big 32 this week and I’m not going to lie: it feels unquestionably, unequivocally, absolutely, significantly, and completely different from 31. Pop quiz: what do people say here on your birthday? Need more time? No cheating! Do kids still use #2 pencils in 2006? Ok, I’ll...
29 Sep Happy Birthday to the World!
Posted at 01:48h
in Benji's Getting Serious, Current Events, I Love This Place, Jew Stuff 0 Comments
Ahh, Friday. The weekend. Time to rest, catch up on errands, and yes, my loyal readers, blog. Rosh Hashana was exactly what I needed: two days of relaxation. As I suspected, it was not the chag I was used to from the States. There’s no...
22 Sep Shana Tova!
Posted at 02:51h
in Benji's Getting Serious, I Love This Place, Jew Stuff, That Thing That Pays the Bills, This Aliyah Moment is Brought to You by the Letter Aleph 0 Comments
Tonight begins Rosh Hashana, the new year. I’m excited for my first holiday here, for a relaxing break from work, and to “feel” the holiday here. Yesterday at work, the office got together for a “Ramat Koseet”, literally a “raising of the glass”...